Skewer



F. KAUTZ Aug. 6, 1940.

SKEWER Filed June 17. 1957 Patented Aug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFH Frederick Kautz, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application June 17, 1937, Serial No. 148,81 In Germany March 2, 1937 6 Claims.

invention relates to skewers and more particularly of a type in which the incision or the parts to be held together are laced to effect proper retention of the parts, and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is a cardinal purpose of the invention to provide a skewer of cork-screw formation, permitting quick and effective application of the skewer and retention of the parts in their desired relation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a skewer of helical construction which may be readily'rotated to effect penetration and lacing of the material to be held together.

' It is a further object of the inventionto provide a skewer of utmost simplicity and cheapness in manufactureand one presenting a ready application in use.

It is a still further object of the invention to accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevational of a skewer constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front end elevation of the skewer.

Figure 3 is a similar View illustrating a modified form of skewer.

Figures 4 and 5 are cross sections through the body of askewer illustrating possible formations thereof.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of the skewer.

Figures '7 to 12, inclusive, illustrate modified forms of handles for the skewer.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of skewer, and

Figures 14 to 17 inclusive, illustrate some of the possible applications of the skewer.

There is illustrated in Figure l a skewer generally indicated by the reference character H], which consists of a wire or like strand bent or twisted to provide a plurality of helical portions l I. One end of the wire terminates in a sharpened point l2 tangential to the helix ll, and shorter than the diameter of the helix, while. the opposite end is bent to form an operating head or handle Hi.

The head in the present instance,

is shown as an elongated closed loop affording ample .gripping area for axially rotating the skewer, as well as preventing retraction of the material which has been laced. The handle l3 also functions as a means for suspending an arti- 5 ole laced from a support means.

Obviously the dimensions of the coils of the skewer may vary as well as the helic progression, this depending upon the particular use to which the skewer is put but in general the coils should not be less than one-half inch and not greater than two or three inches. In any event, the length of helic progression is not smaller than the diameter of the coils.

As shown in Figure 2, the inner face of the helix of the point l2 will be ground down as-at M to define a sharp penetrating point, and in use, the point l2 will be presented to one side of the incision to be laced, and then by axially ro-' tating the skewer, the point will penetrate the materialin a downward direction and enter and penetrate the material upon its under, opposite side. Thus the skewer alternately penetrates the material at opposite sides of the incision. It will be seen that the incision will be effectively closed, and in order to remove the skewer, reverse rotation of the skewer is all that is required. 1

It has been found that for best results, the

penetrating point i2 should be slightly deformed from the helical travel of the coils, in order to obtain a more vertical line of penetration and in Figure 3 there is shown a modified form of penetrating point, which is especially suited for lacing incisions in that the point I2 is likewise tangential to the helix II, presenting the point in a vertical line of penetration, the point being as long as the radius of the helix.

It is also practical to reduce the helic progression-at the penetrating point, as shown at A5 in Figure 6. The wire from which the skewer is formed may be made from any suitable material, and obviously may have any desired cross section, and in Figure 4, the wire is shown as round while in Figure 5 it is illustrated as oval-shaped, this latter form ofiering more tear resistance.

As may be seen in Figure 1, thehelic increase of the coils of the skewer progress in the direction of the head l3, and by virtueof this construction of the coils it will be apparent that as the skewer advances for eifecting closure of an incision, the meat or other material will be stretched and the edges of the meat held taut, preventing rufliing or scalloping of the edge.

Obviously the handle [3 may have various shapes, this depending largely upon the material being laced, and in Figures '7 to 11 modifications of the handle are shown.

Referring to Figure 7, the handle It is shown as a single loop having a turn of less pitch than that of the helical coils of the skewer, or it may be modified to present a series of closely spaced coils as shown in Figure 7a.

In Figure 8, the handle I1 is shown as a straight member, which has greater slope with respect to the axis of the article-penetrating coils than the said coils have with respect to the said axis. The length of the handle may be increased and also given a slight curvature in the direction of the coils, as illustrated in Figure 8a.

Figure 9 illustrates the handle l8 as a straight portion projecting beyond the coil tangentially, or this may be modified by gradually curving the end outwardly beyond the cylindrical envelope of the coils of the skewer as indicated at IS in Figure 9a.

In Figure 10 there is shown an eye 20, positioned approximately on the longitudinal axis of the skewer. Or the handle may be given a slight rearward inclination, as shown in Figure l1.

In Figure 12 the handle 22 is shown as a single coil of a diameter greater than the coils of the skewer.

Figure 13 illustrates a modified form of skewer, in which the coils are of reduced diameter in the direction of the penetrating point, the helic progression increasing in the direction of the handle.

Figure 14 illustrates the use of the skewer for closing the incision 24, as well as employing a skewer 25 for proper retention of the legs of a fowl.

Figure 15 illustrates the installation of a skewer upon a body of material in which parallel edges are to be drawn together.

Figure 16 shows a further use of the skewer for lacing a "roll of meat indicated at 26, and in Figure 17 a further use upon rolled meat is shown, but in this instance, the skewers II! are engaged in the meat so as to extend transversely of the roll.

While I have shown and described certain preferred forms of the skewer, this is by way of illustration, and moreover, the skewer is not limited to the particular uses herein set forth, for

it is applicable to use in bag closures, and in some surgical operations where incisions are to be laced.

I claim:

1. A skewer comprising a body member having a plurality of spaced helic coils, one end coil terminating in a sharpened point, the coil at the opposite end of the skewer having an operating handle and said coils having a helic progression and diameter of approximately equal dimensions, said sharpened point being extended at a tangent to the coil.

2. A skewer comprising a body member having a plurality of spaced helic coils, one end coil terminating in a sharpened point, the coil at the opposite end of the skewer having an operating handle, said coils having a, hello progression greater than the diameter of the coils and said sharpened point extending at a tangent to the helical travel of the coils.

3. A skewer comprising a body member having a plurality of spaced helic coils, one end coil terminating in a sharpened point, the coil at the opposite end of the skewer having an operating handle, said coils having a helic progression greater than the diameter of the coils, the helic progression increasing in the direction of the handle and said sharpened point extending at tangent to the helical travel of the coils.

4. A skewer comprising a body member having a plurality of spaced helic coils, one end coil having the inner surface ground to form a sharp penetrating point said point extending at a tangent to the helical travel of the coils and the coil at the opposite end of the skewer having an operating handle.

5. A skewer comprising a body member having a plurality of spaced helic coils, one end coil having its termination sharpened to define a tangent penetrating point, the coil at the opposite end of the skewer having an operating handle, said coils having a helic progression in the direction of the handle, and said point having reduced helic progression.

6. A skewer comprising a body member having a plurality of spaced helic coils, one end coil having its termination sharpened to define a tangent penetrating point, the coil at the opposite end of the skewer having an operating handle, said coils having reduced diameter in the direction of the penetrating point and having a helic progression in the direction of the handle.

FREDERICK KAUTZ. 

